Platinum Equity Acquires WS Packaging Group

Beverly Hills private equity firm Platinum Equity announced it has acquired packaging and labeling company WS Packing Group of Green Bay, Wis. from J.W. Childs Associates.

WS Packaging Group serves the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical industries. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

“WS Packaging Group has great potential, and we look forward to working closely with the company’s management team, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders,” said Jason Price, a principal at Platinum Equity. “We believe it will benefit from our operational resources and our ability to help identify and pursue new avenues for growth.”

Platinum Equity is no stranger to the packaging sector having owned and sold one of WS Packing Group’s suppliers of pressure sensitive materials, Mactac. It acquired Mactec in 2014 and divested and sold Mactac’s European business to Avery Dennison in August of 2016. Later in the year, Platinum sold Mactec Americas to Lintec Corp. in Tokyo in a transaction valued at about $375 million.

WS Packaging Group Chief Executive Dean Wimer will remain in his role.

Latham & Watkins served as legal counsel to Platinum Equity. WS Packing Group was represented legally by McDermott Will & Emery and financially by Barclays.